📌 Android Documentation Plugins: The Best Way to Document Your Code

📖 Introduction

Writing good documentation is essential for maintaining and scaling Android projects. Whether you are working solo or in a team, having well-structured documentation helps developers understand the project, onboard new team members, and avoid confusion.

In this blog post, we will explore Dokka, the officially recommended documentation tool for Kotlin-based Android apps. We will also briefly discuss other options and compare their features.

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🔥 What is Dokka?

Dokka is an official documentation tool developed by JetBrains for generating API documentation from Kotlin and Java projects. It works similarly to Javadoc but is optimized for Kotlin.

✅ Key Features of Dokka:

✔️ Generates HTML, Markdown, and Javadoc-style documentation
✔️ Supports KDoc (Kotlin's built-in documentation format)
✔️ Integrates with Gradle and Version Catalogs
✔️ Works with both Kotlin and Java code in Android projects
✔️ Supports publishing documentation to GitHub Pages, ReadTheDocs, etc.

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🚀 How to Integrate Dokka in Your Android Project

Step 1: Add Dokka to libs.versions.toml (If Using Version Catalogs)

If your project uses Gradle Version Catalogs (libs.versions.toml), add this under [plugins]:

[plugins]
dokka = { id = "org.jetbrains.dokka", version = "1.9.20" }

Step 2: Apply Dokka in build.gradle.kts

Now, add Dokka to your plugins block in app/build.gradle.kts:

plugins {
alias(libs.plugins.android.application)
alias(libs.plugins.google.android.libraries.mapsplatform.secrets.gradle.plugin)
alias(libs.plugins.dokka)    //dokka
}

For Groovy DSL (build.gradle), use:

plugins {
    alias(libs.plugins.android.application)
    alias(libs.plugins.dokka)
}

Step 3: Generate Documentation

Run the following command to generate HTML documentation:

./gradlew dokkaHtml

Your documentation will be available in:

app/build/dokka/html/index.html

Open index.html in a browser to view the generated docs.

Output:

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📜 Alternative Documentation Tools for Android

While Dokka is the best choice for Kotlin, here are some alternatives:

1️⃣ Javadoc (For Java Projects)

• Works only for Java

• Run using ./gradlew javadoc

• Not optimized for Kotlin

2️⃣ Compodoc (For Angular Projects)

• Not for Android, but useful for Angular developers

• If working on an Android + Angular project, consider this for frontend docs

3️⃣ Swagger (For API Documentation)

• If your Android app interacts with REST APIs, use Swagger or Postman Docs to document API endpoints

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🎯 Why Dokka is the Best Choice for Android Developers

✅ Recommended by JetBrains for Kotlin
✅ Works with both Kotlin & Java in Android projects
✅ Easy to integrate with Gradle Version Catalogs
✅ Generates multiple formats (HTML, Markdown, Javadoc)
✅ Lightweight and fast

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🔥 Final Thoughts

If you're building Android apps with Kotlin, Dokka is the best tool for generating documentation. It integrates seamlessly with Gradle, supports KDoc, and produces clean, structured documentation that you can easily share with your team.

🚀 Try it out today and make your Android project documentation better!

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions! 😊